Your Province-By-Province Guide To Buying And Consuming Cannabis In Canada

Cannabis is now legal across Canada, but not every province has the same rules and regulations. To help you navigate the confusing landscape of rules and regs, here's a province-by-province guide on where you can buy weed, where you can smoke it, how much you can grow at home and more.

British Columbia

The BC government is prioritizing public safety rather than consumer satisfaction. BC's Cannabis Control and Licensing Act dictates the structure for legalization, and it’s focused - in the province’s words - on "protecting children and youth, promoting health and safety, keeping the criminal element out of cannabis, keeping BC roads safe, and supporting economic development."

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in BC?

In BC, the legal age to purchase, sell, or consume cannabis is 19. Minors who get caught with more than five grams in their possession might face criminal charges under federal law.

Where can you buy cannabis?

The "cannabis retail licensing regime" (or cannabis stores) in BC will function similarly to the way liquor stores currently operate in the province. The province’s Liquor Distribution Branch will be responsible for wholesale cannabis distribution, but the province will operate mostly licensed private shops, with only one government-run store scheduled to open so far (in Kamloops).

Those of legal age can possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, which is the same limit in every other Canadian province.

What products will be available on the legal market?

Both public and private stores will be allowed to sell dried cannabis, oils, and seeds on day one of legalization.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to waitup to a year before edibles will be approved for saleanywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Where can I smoke?

Under the new Act, cannabis is treated a lot like tobacco. So if smoking or vaping tobacco are prohibited in an area, it's safe to assume that toking is also banned.

Cannabis consumption will also be off-limits at playgrounds, sports fields, municipal parks and campgrounds and "other places where children commonly gather." It will be prohibited on school properties, in vehicles, and in rented homes if the lease specifies that smoking tobacco is not allowed.

You can smoke on the sidewalk, but not if it's adjacent to a school. And you have to be at least six meters away from doorways, windows, air-intake vents, bus stops and bus shelters.

Can I grow cannabis myself?

Yes, each household can grow up to four plants, but not on the windowsill or any other place where the plants would be visible to passersby. Cannabis can't be grown in homes used as daycares, either. And landlords as well as condo boards can set their own rules about growing in their units.

Alberta

Both government and privately-owned businesses will sell cannabis in Alberta, which is the only province that will be charging a provincial tax on cannabis alongside the federal one. And that's a bit odd since there is no general provincial sales tax in Alberta.

The distribution of cannabis and licensing of retailers will be overseen by the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, which bans retailers from selling cannabis alongside alcohol, tobacco or (other) pharmaceutical sales.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in Alberta?

The legal age to purchase and consume cannabis in Alberta will be 18, the same minimum age for buying liquor and tobacco.

Where can you buy cannabis?

Cannabis distribution in Alberta will be similar to how the province handles alcohol sales. Private retailers will need to get a license from the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, which requires background checks. All brick-and-mortar shops selling cannabis will be privately-owned, and any shop already selling alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceuticals won’t be able to get a license.

Government sales will happen, but online-only. To buy cannabis online, click here.

Physical stores can be open from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m., and they’ll be subject to what the government promises will be “extensive security requirements.”

How much can I have in my possession?

It’s legal for Albertans to carry up to 30 grams of cannabis around, which is the same limit in every other Canadian province.

What products will be available on the legal market?

According to Alain Maisonneuve, president and CEO of the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission, there will be over 300 cannabis products on the shelves of weed shops. Right now, though, they’re limited to dried flower and oil.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to waitup to a year before edibles will be approved for saleanywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Where can I smoke?

Cannabis use will be banned anywhere tobacco is restricted. This includes, but is not limited to the following: hospital, school, or childcare facilities, in or around playgrounds, sports fields, skate and bike parks, zoos, outdoor theatres and outdoor pools. It’ll also be banned in all vehicles except those being used for residences (think parked RVs).

Smoking won’t be allowed at any cannabis retail outlets, either.

The rules for public consumption vary depending on where in the province you are. In Calgary, consuming cannabis in any form is not permitted in public, whereas Edmonton will allow people to smoke a joint on the sidewalk, so long as it’s at least 10 metres from building doors.

Can I grow cannabis myself?

As per federal law, Albertans will be allowed to grow four cannabis plants per household. However, landlords and condo boards can set their own rules about growing in their units.

Saskatchewan

Canada’s middle prairie province has taken a fairly strict stance on legal weed. For the most part, cannabis will be treated similarly to both alcohol (as an intoxicant) and tobacco (as a public health risk). Online shopping will likely dominate the market as licences to run pot shops will be restricted within the first three years “to ensure a cautious and controlled roll-out of the retail footprint.”

Regulation of the industry, like in other provinces, will be handled by the Liquor and Gaming Authority.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in Saskatchewan?

Like most other provinces (with the exceptions of Alberta and Quebec), Saskatchewan set the legal age at 19. Minors who get caught with more than five grams in their possession might face criminal charges under federal law.

Where can you buy cannabis?

The legal cannabis market in Saskatchewan will revolve around both online sales and private retail stores. Consumers can shop online through the websites of licensed retailers.

How much can I have in my possession?

The legal limit in Saskatchewan is 30 grams, which is the same limit in every other Canadian province.

What products will be available on the legal market?

On day one, consumers can only buy cannabis flower and oils from recreational retailers.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to wait up to a year before edibles will be approved for sale anywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Where can I smoke?

The provincial government has decided to treat cannabis like cigarettes, which means smoking is off limits in enclosed public spaces. Those include bus shelters, public transit, private clubs and public businesses that are rented out for private use.

Cannabis consumers also have to be at least 3 metres away from the entrances and exits of buildings and air-intake vents.

Can I grow cannabis?

As per federal law, each household in Saskatchewan can have four cannabis plants. However, landlords and condo boards can set their own rules about growing in their units.

Manitoba

Manitoba’s rollout will include six legal stores servicing the province on day one. Five of those will be located in Winnipeg and one in Dauphin.

Only cannabis that has been approved and distributed by Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries will be legal for retail sale in the province, and the government’s website warns that municipal governments can hold referendums to prevent cannabis from being sold within their borders. Unlike most other provinces, growing cannabis at home is banned throughout Manitoba.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in Manitoba?

Anyone 19 or older can purchase, possess and consume weed in Manitoba as of Oct. 17. Minors who get caught with more than five grams in their possession might face criminal charges under federal law.

Where can you buy cannabis?

All cannabis stores in Manitoba will be privately operated. Online sales will be available through the websites of licensed retailers.

How much can I have in my possession?

Manitobans can possess a maximum of 30 grams of cannabis, which is the same limit in every other Canadian province.

What products will be available on the legal market?

For now, it’ll be legal to sell both dried product and oils, but those might be scarce as Manitoba is facing supply shortages that could take half a year to resolve.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to waitup to a year before edibles will be approved for saleanywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Where can I smoke?

It is prohibited on streets and sidewalks, parks and beaches, school grounds, restaurant patios and decks, the grounds of healthcare facilities and any additional places specified by regulation. Your home or backyard is your safest bet to have a puff without getting hassled.

Ontario

Premier Doug Ford's government says it has designed its weed regulations to grant individual municipalities the opportunity to opt out of allowing cannabis stores within their boundaries. Right now, it's uncertain which cities and towns will opt out because the province hasn't begun consulting municipalities yet.

As a result, all legal recreational cannabis (with the exception of what’s sold by the government for medicinal purposes) will be sold online at first through the provincial government. Any actual shops will fall under a “tightly regulated private retail model” that won’t launch until six months after federal legalization. Right now that date is set for April 19, 2019, assuming that plan gets approved by the provincial legislature.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in Ontario?

The legal age to purchase, possess, consume and grow will be 19, the same cutoff as alcohol and tobacco. Minors who get caught with more than five grams in their possession might face criminal charges under federal law.

Where can you buy cannabis?

As of Oct. 17, the only way to buy legal cannabis in Ontario will be online through the Ontario Cannabis Store. To shop online, click here. ID will need to be shown to accept the purchase, and packages won’t be left at the door. There’s pending legislation right now that, if passed, will create space for private stores, too, but not until spring 2019. Those stores will be regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

How much can I have in my possession?

Ontarians will be able to possess a maximum of 30 grams of cannabis, which is the same limit in every other Canadian province.

What products will be available on the legal market?

Dried flower, oils, seeds and accessories will be sold online through the Ontario Cannabis Store.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to waitup to a year before edibles will be approved for saleanywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Where can I smoke?

In Ontario, it will be legal to smoke on sidewalks and in parks, in private residences, and in vehicles that could also feasibly act as residences - like boards and RVs. It’ll also be legal to smoke or vape in controlled areas in longterm care homes, residential hospices, retirement homes, etc.

Smoking and vaping will be prohibited in enclosed public spaces, at public sports fields, in your car, and within 20 meters of spaces designed for children (like playgrounds and daycare centers). The government warns to check with municipal by-laws, too, since local governments can design their own regulations around public use.

Can I grow cannabis myself?

As per federal law, each household in Ontario can grow up to four cannabis plants. However, landlords and condo boards can set their own rules about growing in their units.

Quebec

Of all the provinces, Quebec is arguably the most opposed to cannabis legalization. "Cannabis involves significant risks for public health and safety," its website says, "therefore the government of Québec must stringently regulate the substance in response to the federal government’s intent to legalize its production and sale."

Nevertheless, there will be eleven government-run stores open in the province the morning of Oct. 17, three of those in Montreal. Three more stores are promised by month’s end. But rather than loosening regulations in the future as some provinces are planning to do, Quebec wants to move in the opposite direction. The CAQ government plans to raise the legal age to 21 while also banning cannabis consumption in all public places.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in Quebec?

The legal age to purchase, possess, and consume cannabis in Quebec is 18...for now. But newly elected premier François Legault says he’s going to raise it to 21.

Where can you buy cannabis?

Legal cannabis will only be sold by the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC), an offshoot of the province’s liquor control board - the SAQ. As of Oct. 17, there will be 11 locations across the province, with three more to come by the end of the month.

Weed will also be available online through the SQDC website. To start shopping, click here.

How much can I have in my possession?

Quebeckers can possess up to 30 grams, or about an ounce, in public. At home, it will be legal to keep up to 150 grams.

What products will be available on the legal market?

Cannabis flower, oil and accessories will be legally sold in stores and online as of Wednesday.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to waitup to a year before edibles will be approved for saleanywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Eventually, the CAQ wants to ban cannabis in all public places throughout the province.

Smoking in prohibited places could result in a fine of up to $3,000 for a repeat offence. And operators of public spaces who neglect to label where smoking is prohibited or allow consumers to break the ban could get hit with a $25,500 fine.

Can I grow cannabis myself?

Not in Quebec. The federal government permits up to four plants per household, but the Quebec government has vetoed this within its borders.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick will open 20 provincially owned pot shops scattered across the province today. And while New Brunswick is allowing residents to grow and possess the maximum amount of cannabis allowed under federal law, the province also has some of the strictest regulations - especially the requirement to keep cannabis under lock and key at home.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in New Brunswick?

The legal age will be 19, the same as it is for alcohol and tobacco. Anyone looking to enter a Cannabis NB store will have to show ID at reception.

Where can you buy cannabis?

Cannabis NB stores have been fully constructed and waiting to open their doors for months. These will be the only stores where you can legally buy weed in person, but online shopping will also be available in the province through Cannabis NB's website. To buy online, click here.

How much can I have in my possession?

It’s legal to have 30 grams at any given time, and there’s no legal max on the amount someone can keep at home. However, the government requires cannabis consumers to keep their pot locked up at home.

What products will be available on the legal market?

On day one, shoppers can buy dried cannabis flower and oil.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to waitup to a year before edibles will be approved for saleanywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Where can I smoke?

The provincial government has banned public consumption of cannabis throughout New Brunswick.

Can I grow cannabis myself?

It’ll be legal to grow up to four plants per household in New Brunswick, the max number permitted by the federal government. When grown indoors, these plants must be in a separate, locked space. When grown outdoors, they must be located behind a locked enclosure that is 1.52 metres high.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia will only sell cannabis through pre-existing NSLC outlets - the province's chain of liquor stores. Cannabis will be sold in a separate section of each store that is set up behind a wall of frosted glass. The only exception is one stand-alone cannabis-only shop in Halifax. In total, 11 stores will open across the province on Oct. 17.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in Nova Scotia?

Nova Scotians have to be at least 19 to buy, possess or grow cannabis. Shoppers will have to get their ID verified at NSLC stores before being allowed to purchase cannabis.

Where can you buy cannabis?

Cannabis can only legally be purchased through NSLC locations and one stand-alone cannabis store in Halifax. You can also shop online through the NSLC website by clicking here. However, you will have to visit a NSLC store, have your ID verified and receive a unique code in order to access the site.

How much can I have in my possession?

Nova Scotians can possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, which is the same limit in every other Canadian province. There is no limit in Nova Scotia as to how much you can keep at home, as long as it’s for personal use.

What products will be available on the legal market?

Dried cannabis flower and oil will be available for sale on day one of legalization. Pre-rolled joints and gel capsules will also be available at participating NSLC stores.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to wait up to a year before edibles will be approved for sale anywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Where can I smoke?

Nova Scotians will have to restrict their use to their own private property. The province's new Smoke-Free Places Act will apply to cannabis, as well as tobacco, meaning it’s going to be illegal to smoke in public even after Oct. 17. And you might not be able to have a puff at home since landlords and condo boards can set their own rules about growing in their units.

Can I grow cannabis myself?

It’ll be legal to grow up to four plants per household. Municipalities can create extra restrictions in this area, though, so it's best to check local by-laws before you invest in growth infrastructure.

Prince Edward Island

The PEI government is opting to begin with a slow rollout for cannabis legalization. On day one, there will be four stores that will serve the province’s most populated areas: Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague and West Prince. The province will consider expanding its legal industry as needed in the future.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in PEI?

To purchase, possess and consume cannabis in PEI, you have to be 19 or older.

Where can you buy cannabis?

There will be four standalone P.E.I. Cannabis stores on the island. Stores will be located in Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague and West Prince. You can also shop online through PEI Cannabis' website by clicking here.

How much can I have in my possession?

It’ll be legal to have up to 30 grams on your person in public, and there’s no legal max on how much you can keep at home.

What products will be available on the legal market?

The legal cannabis market in PEI will include dried flower, oil, and accessories. Seeds won’t be on the market as of legalization day, but the government is looking into developing a supply chain for seeds.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to wait up to a year before edibles will be approved for sale anywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack.

Where can I smoke?

You can smoke at home or in your own yard. If landlords or condo boards ban smoking in their units, you can consume cannabis in areas where smoking tobacco is allowed.

Can I grow cannabis myself?

Islanders can grow up to four plants per household.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Day one of legalization will see 20 cannabis stores open up across the province. About 70 per cent of the population will have a legal cannabis shop within 50 km of their homes, according to Sean Ryan, Vice-President of Regulatory Services and Social Responsibility with the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation. And for the other 30 percent, cannabis can be purchased online.

How old do I have to be to legally buy weed in Newfoundland?

As in most provinces, the legal age to purchase, possess and consume cannabis in Newfoundland and Labrador is 19.

Where can you buy cannabis?

Legal cannabis sales in Newfoundland and Labrador will be handled by private retailers licensed by the NLC. The NLC will oversee cannabis distribution, sales and delivery. To buy cannabis online through the NLC website, click here.

There will be tiers of cannabis sellers. Tier 1 shops will sell just cannabis, and Tier 2 shops will be enclosed spaces for cannabis within other stores. Tier 3 stores will involve dedicated desks in larger spaces. Tier 4 points of sale will be behind a counter and out of sight, similar to the way we treat tobacco.

How much can I have in my possession?

It’ll be legal to buy and carry up to 30 grams of cannabis at a time in Newfoundland and Labrador. There’s no limit on how much you can keep at home for personal use.

What products will be available on the legal market?

On day one, dried cannabis flower, plants, seeds and oils will be the only products available on the legal market.

What about edibles?

The feds have announced that we'll have to wait up to a year before edibles will be approved for sale anywhere in Canada. If you don't want to wait, you can always make them at home, provided you don’t plan to sell them. Otherwise you'll have to wait until sometime in 2019 before you can buy a cannabis-infused snack

Where can I smoke?

Consuming cannabis will be restricted to private residences in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Can I grow cannabis myself?

Yes, it’ll be legal to grow up to four plants per household for personal consumption.

Check back with us later this week for information on buying and consuming cannabis in Canada's territories.

Latest.

The city of Lawrence, Kansas, is looking to make it so that a marijuana possession fine costs less than a cup of coffee for first and second time offenders. The proposed $1 possession fine would replace their current $200 penalty, as well as a $63 court fee. Those charged under the current regulations also have to undergo a court evaluation, which comes with additional costs.